YPS National Salon 2023

Definitions & Rules

This is a COLOR OPEN SECTION that accepts pictures in full or partial colour covering any subject other than Monochrome, Nature and Travel which are covered under respective sections.

The pictures may be of any genre such as Portraits, Pictorial or Landscape. Please consult the list of awards to select your pictures to submit.

Digital creation pictures are allowed under this section provided they conform to the condition that the entry must have one or more elements that have originated as photographs. All elements of the image must have been shot by the author. No part of the image should have been taken from Net or other person's image. Use of some filters available on net is permissible.

Submission of same images either colour or mono in two different section of the same Salon will result in disqualification for both the images.

Monochrome Grayscale images (that is without tone) may not be entered in COLOR OPEN section.

This is a MONOCHROME OPEN section that accepts Grayscale and Toned Grayscale images fitting the following definitions.

An image is considered to be Monochrome only if it gives the impression of having no color (i.e. contains only shades of grey which can include pure black and pure white) OR it gives the impression of being a greyscale image that has been toned in one color across the entire image. (For example by Sepia, red, gold, etc.) A greyscale or multi-colored image modified or giving the impression of having been modified by partial toning, multi-toning or by the inclusion of spot coloring does not meet the definition of monochrome and shall be classified as a Color Work.

Digital creation pictures are allowed under this section provided they conform to the condition that the entry must have one or more elements that have originated as photographs. All elements of the image must have been shot by the author. No part of the image should have been taken from Net or other person's image. Use of some filters available on net is permissible.

Monochrome Grayscale images (that is without tone) may not be entered in Color Open sections. Grayscale images may be entered in Nature and Travel sections, but toned images are not permitted under Nature and Travel sections.

Submission of same images either colour or mono in two different section of the same Salon will result in disqualification for both the images.

Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archeology, in such a fashion that a well-informed person will be able to identify the subject and certify its honest presentation.

• The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality.
• Human elements shall not be present, except where those human elements are integral parts of the nature story such as nature subjects, like barn owls or storks, adapted to an environment modified by humans, or where those human elements are in situations depicting natural forces, like hurricanes or tidal waves.
• Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible.
• Photographs of human created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domestic animals, or mounted specimens are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement.
• No techniques that add, relocate, replace, or remove pictorial elements except by cropping are permitted. Conversion to infrared, either by digital technique or by original technique is not allowed. Stitching of two or more image is not permitted.
• Techniques that enhance the presentation of the photograph without changing the nature story or the pictorial content, or without altering the content of the original scene, are permitted including HDR, focus stacking and dodging/burning.
• Techniques that remove elements added by the camera, such as dust spots, digital noise, and film scratches, are allowed. It is perfectly legal to remove dust, flares or digital noise. Minor global colour / tone correction is OK as long as it is not selective and the final image looks natural but not dramatic. Dodge and Burn tool is for you only but use it judiciously. Selective darkening of background is prohibited. Techniques like panning, slow shutter speed or in-exposure zooming are part of your creativity. Use of filters like Polarizers and NDs are ok.
• Stitched images are not permitted.
• Drone Photography in the National Parks of India is illegal except with prior written permission from the concerned authorities. Drone images of Wild animals will be disqualified.
• Color images can be converted to greyscale monochrome. But partial/complete toning is not allowed.
• Infrared images, either direct-captures or derivations, are not allowed.
• Welfare of the subject is extremely important. Use of live bait is totally prohibited. Nest images are not allowed.

Images entered in Nature sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above can have landscapes, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. This includes images taken with subjects in controlled conditions, such as zoos, game farms,botanical gardens, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on man for food.

Grayscale images (that is without complete or partial toning) may be entered in Nature section.

A Photo Travel image expresses the characteristic features or culture of a land as they are found naturally. There are no geographical limitations. The following restrictions apply to pictures submitted under the TRAVEL Section:

• Images of individuals or groups must show their environment or location.
• The image should not be a SET-UP image and it should not be a directed image. Images from events or activities arranged specifically for photography, or of subjects directed or hired for photography are not permitted. It should not be from a PHOTO WORKSHOP where a troupe dances for the workshop organizer or HORSES are made to run in dust or water or an individual shows his acrobatics on payment of a fee.
• Many monasteries have religious festivals with dances etc and it is perfectly legal to submit such images though you may have paid an entry fee. The same is true for ballet and other stage shows. These are public performances and are not arranged specifically for a group of photographers.
• Techniques that add, relocate, replace, or remove any element of the original image, except by cropping, are not permitted. The only allowable adjustments are the removal of dust or digital noise, restoration of the appearance of the original scene, and complete conversion to greyscale monochrome. Other derivations, including infrared, are not permitted. Stitching of two or more images is not permitted. All images must look natural.
• Complete conversion to greyscale Monochrome is allowed but without partial or complete toning.
• Drone photography is permitted if it is permissible at the locations where the picture was shot.